Wait a minute

Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 2:42 p.m.

Keeping records for a nonprofit organization is very important. And there is no end to the records that should be kept.

Most boards should have a retention policy that outlines what information to keep forever, and what to discard after a prescribed amount of time.

One of the forever items is minutes. This is the eyewitness history of any organization. Each filed minutes of a meeting include the date of the meeting, attendees at the gathering and records of all actions taken. Minutes should include excused absences — "my husband broke his leg" — and also unexcused absences, as in, she just didn't show for the meeting.

Should attendance of a member come into question, the minutes are the corporation's word on who was there on that day.

The minutes should report a motion, explicit wording of the motion, that it was moved and seconded. Should the names of those moving the action be recorded? In my opinion, routine actions — approving the minutes of the previous meeting, the treasurer's report — don't need a name attached. When a motion comes from a committee chair, the chair's name will be part of the report, as in Igor, chair of the ad hoc committee on dungeons, moved as a recommendation of the committee that...

The stuff that makes history, the actions that move the agency in a new direction should be in the official minutes. Not every argument needs to be reported — that the discussion occurred, that the motion carried or failed is important. In addition to action, include reference to all reports given or submitted in writing.

However, when a board gets into a discussion that will have long-term effect on the future of the agency, take names. Sometimes, after a profound discussion, members may choose to bring the item back for discussion at the next meeting. It is important that those who discussed and voted on the issue at the last meeting be present.

In some very important discussions, the board may want a roll call vote. If that is done, include the members names with their vote.

The agenda is a great outline for the secretary to use when preparing the minutes. It's a great tool for the chair to use to keep the discussion on track. It organizes the meeting to make certain all items of importance are considered.

The minutes of the previous meeting help organize the next agenda. For example, the minutes may state that the committee will visit the ex-treasurer in jail and report back at the June meeting. The June meeting agenda should have a place for that report — and I bet everyone attends the meeting to get the update.

Speaking of the treasurer, it is also important to have the minutes reflect that the treasurer's report was accepted. This is proof to everyone reviewing the minutes that the board has seen the status of the finances and that board members are receiving the information. If said board member isn't reviewing the report, that's not the treasurer's fault.

What should not be in the minutes? Anything that is personal — like the president asked the treasurer to help plan a baby shower for her niece, or the finance committee chair complained about his allergies — should be ignored.

Also, it is not necessary to include verbatim any report that has been submitted in writing. Reference the report and file it with the official copy of the minutes. The minutes should just reflect that the report was submitted.

And what if the minutes are incorrect? Every member has the opportunity to read the minutes, usually at the next meeting, and offer corrections. When the minutes are corrected, the secretary corrects the original set, marks them approved and files them. Say they were approved as corrected.

These days, most agencies deal electronically with a board packet — the minutes to be approved, a treasurer's report, other reports and an agenda all may arrive days before the meeting. Of course, that means that all boards members read the information beforehand. Meetings move very quickly when the information is in everyone's hands in advance.

One final piece of advice to all secretaries — get the minutes done as soon as possible after the meeting. No matter how clear your notes, or that you are a techie typing the notes into your laptop, as time passes, the sense of the notes lose out as memory fades. Minutes are too important.

<p>Keeping records for a nonprofit organization is very important. And there is no end to the records that should be kept. </p><p>Most boards should have a retention policy that outlines what information to keep forever, and what to discard after a prescribed amount of time.</p><p>One of the forever items is minutes. This is the eyewitness history of any organization. Each filed minutes of a meeting include the date of the meeting, attendees at the gathering and records of all actions taken. Minutes should include excused absences — "my husband broke his leg" — and also unexcused absences, as in, she just didn't show for the meeting. </p><p>Should attendance of a member come into question, the minutes are the corporation's word on who was there on that day.</p><p>The minutes should report a motion, explicit wording of the motion, that it was moved and seconded. Should the names of those moving the action be recorded? In my opinion, routine actions — approving the minutes of the previous meeting, the treasurer's report — don't need a name attached. When a motion comes from a committee chair, the chair's name will be part of the report, as in Igor, chair of the ad hoc committee on dungeons, moved as a recommendation of the committee that... </p><p>The stuff that makes history, the actions that move the agency in a new direction should be in the official minutes. Not every argument needs to be reported — that the discussion occurred, that the motion carried or failed is important. In addition to action, include reference to all reports given or submitted in writing.</p><p>However, when a board gets into a discussion that will have long-term effect on the future of the agency, take names. Sometimes, after a profound discussion, members may choose to bring the item back for discussion at the next meeting. It is important that those who discussed and voted on the issue at the last meeting be present. </p><p>In some very important discussions, the board may want a roll call vote. If that is done, include the members names with their vote.</p><p>The agenda is a great outline for the secretary to use when preparing the minutes. It's a great tool for the chair to use to keep the discussion on track. It organizes the meeting to make certain all items of importance are considered. </p><p>The minutes of the previous meeting help organize the next agenda. For example, the minutes may state that the committee will visit the ex-treasurer in jail and report back at the June meeting. The June meeting agenda should have a place for that report — and I bet everyone attends the meeting to get the update.</p><p>Speaking of the treasurer, it is also important to have the minutes reflect that the treasurer's report was accepted. This is proof to everyone reviewing the minutes that the board has seen the status of the finances and that board members are receiving the information. If said board member isn't reviewing the report, that's not the treasurer's fault.</p><p>What should not be in the minutes? Anything that is personal — like the president asked the treasurer to help plan a baby shower for her niece, or the finance committee chair complained about his allergies — should be ignored.</p><p>Also, it is not necessary to include verbatim any report that has been submitted in writing. Reference the report and file it with the official copy of the minutes. The minutes should just reflect that the report was submitted. </p><p>And what if the minutes are incorrect? Every member has the opportunity to read the minutes, usually at the next meeting, and offer corrections. When the minutes are corrected, the secretary corrects the original set, marks them approved and files them. Say they were approved as corrected.</p><p>These days, most agencies deal electronically with a board packet — the minutes to be approved, a treasurer's report, other reports and an agenda all may arrive days before the meeting. Of course, that means that all boards members read the information beforehand. Meetings move very quickly when the information is in everyone's hands in advance.</p><p>One final piece of advice to all secretaries — get the minutes done as soon as possible after the meeting. No matter how clear your notes, or that you are a techie typing the notes into your laptop, as time passes, the sense of the notes lose out as memory fades. Minutes are too important.</p>